Not Dead Yet
by TheNoMoreHero672
Summary: An organization is out to kill Chrom. At the time, he is searching for Robin, who disappeared in the fight with Grima. The organization's goal is unknown, but it's members are dangerous. They posses abnormal powers, and they are gaining numbers with each day. Lot of OCs in here... Just Saying.
1. Chapter 1

Not Dead Yet

"It is time." The voice of an old man said. At the sound of his voice, many people gathered around him. "Time for what?" one of the men said, as they gathered.

"It is time for Exalt of Ylisse: Chrom, to die." As soon as the elderly man said that, six people stepped up, and gathered in a circle around the man. "Why kill him?" a hooded woman in the circle said.

"We need to show the rest of the world that our organization means business." The old man said. "What better way to do that, than murder the Exalt himself? There are other reasons, but I cannot inform you all of those reasons as of yet. Now then, which of you six wishes to carry out this mission?"

"I'll do it." A man in a mask said as he stepped up from the circle and to the old man. "I'll kill the Exalt."

The old man nodded his head "Ah, Paradox, so it is you who wishes to end his life? Very well, but you're not going alone, a mission such as this will prove to be… difficult, so I'm assigning Raycir as your partner for this mission." When the man said that, a large man with a sword on his back in the circle stepped beside Paradox.

"This mission is extremely important." The old man said. "You two being members of the Elite Circle, I trust you will be able to complete it. Now then, go, kill the Exalt. I'm counting on you."

The two men both nodded in unison, then quickly left the Fortress.

It had been 6 months since Robin's disappearance. Nearly everyone had given up on searching for him. They finally came to the conclusion that he really died in the fight with Grima. In doing so, he gave everyone a future to look forward to. The only people who still continued to look were Chrom and occasionally, Lucina. They searched high and low, but could not find him. They still continued to search for him whenever they had spare time. They refused to believe that their friend had really died. During this particular search, they were looking on the outskirts of Plegia. It was getting dark out.

"Father, do you really think we'll find him? We've been searching for so long, what if he really has died?" Lucina said as they were walking.

"Maybe he has, there's no way of knowing, but I'm still going to look for him. I owe him at least that much." Chrom Responded. As he talked, he noticed two figures slowly approaching them. Chrom put his hand on Falchion, and stared at them, still coming closer. Lucina noticed them as well, but she simply took out her Falchion and held it front of her, ready for attack.

"Finally!" The larger of the two men said. "You are a hard man to find, Exalt of Ylisse."


	2. Chapter 2

Not Dead Yet

"This makes things easier." Said Paradox in a voice that sounded like he was completely uninterested with what was going on. "Now we don't have to share the Exalt, we have 2 opponents."

"Oh yes that's right." Raycir commented "So which one do I get to fight?"

"You can take the Exalt." Pardox said, still bored. He then took a dagger from his cloak, and held it backhanded.

"What?" Raycir said. "I'd figure you'd be the one who'd want to kill Chrom, you're the one who accepted the mission after all."

Paradox responded more quickly this time, finally sounding somewhat interested in the situation. "That's what I originally thought. But this other one peaks my interest."

Lucina was paying close attention to what the two were saying, and when she heard herself being mentioned by the one known as Paradox, she fixed her gaze on him and noticed something she didn't see before. The mask he was wearing, it looked almost exactly the same as the mask she wore when she posed as Marth, but the design was made so that it covered the bottom half of the face. "Who is this guy?" she thought.

"Whatever, more fun for me." Raycir said, while taking the sword from his back. For a while it was just the four of them, standing with their weapons drawn. Raycir was the first to attack, using his sword, and aiming a slice vertically trying to hit Chrom's head, but he held up his Falchion and blocked it. Paradox ran past the both of them with blinding speed, and right to Lucina. She was ready for his attack, and managed to dodge a strike from the dagger even with Paradox's amazing accuracy. She then countered with a horizontal slice that would have easily killed any normal man. Paradox, with his speed, managed to duck under Falchion just in time, and quickly did the smart thing and backed away. Raycir was having a hard time keeping up with Chrom. He was just barely deflecting his powerful strikes. He made the mistake of trying to dodge one of Chrom's strikes, rather than deflect it. He wasn't fast enough to dodge a strike however, and Chrom quickly impaled him with Falchion.

"I have failed… the mission." He muttered as he fell to the ground and died. Paradox looked over at his fallen comrade. He didn't feel anything at all.

"Great, now I have to fight the both of you at the same time." He said, in his normal bored voice. Chrom couldn't quite understand why, but his voice, was so familiar.

Paradox took out a second dagger, and held out his arms, pointed one dagger to Chrom, and one to Lucina. Chrom and Lucina both charged at Paradox and swung with their weapons at the same time. Paradox quickly avoided both strikes, and threw his dagger right towards Chrom's face. Chrom moved his head and the dagger only scratched his cheek. Lucina attacked Paradox from behind, and he knew it was coming. He couldn't completely avoid this attack; he dodged without getting injured, but the blade struck his mask, shattering it to pieces. Paradox jumped away from the both of them, dropping to his knees and lowering his head. Lucina tried to see his face, but couldn't with it lowered. Paradox then stood up, revealing his face. Chrom and Lucina were utterly shocked at what they saw.

"Why… why is it you?" Chrom said. His eyes were filled with confusion. Lucina just stared at his face, not able to form words.

After what seemed like forever, she only managed to say his name. "..Robin?" He only stared in response.

Chrom then spoke up. "R-robin! You're alive, but, why are you trying to kill us?! We're your friends!"

"Calm down." Robin said, in a plain voice. "I have no intention of killing you, I never did, I simply said what my partner wanted to hear. I do however; wish to test your strength. I want to see how much stronger you've gotten since our fight with Grima.

Chrom did not even try to calm down "But why-!?"

"Save your questions for when we're done here." Robin said. "Oh and Lucina, I ask that you stay out of this, I wish to fight your Father one on one if you don't mind." Lucina simply nodded and stepped back. She was still in shock.

Robin again turned towards Chrom. "Do not hold back Chrom. I know I bear the face of a friend, but right now I am still the enemy. Right now you are fighting Paradox, not Robin." He then charged towards Chrom, initiating the battle.

Afterwards the three of them went back to the campsite together. Lucina spoke to Robin on the way back, out of her state of shock. "Everyone is going to be so happy to see you alive, Robin. After all of this time, they began to think that you really had died six months ago."

Robin nodded. "Yes, it'll be nice to talk to them again. I had almost forgotten their faces. By the way, what were you two doing outside Plegia?"

"Well…" Lucina said, "We were looking for you."

Robin's eyes widened. "What? After all this time?"

"Yes, of course. You're a dear friend to Chrom, and to me. I-I'm glad that you're alive." She said blushing slightly. Robin didn't seem to notice.

"I am too. I can't afford to die, not yet." Robin said. Lucina almost sighed. It seems he didn't get what she was trying to tell him.


	3. Chapter 3

Not Dead Yet

Robin greeted everyone. He remembered everyone's names and faces, except for Kellam, who he completely forgot about. After he said hello to all of them, Robin set up his old tent. When he finished putting all of his belongings inside, he told both Chrom and Lucina to meet him in his tent. When they entered he sat on top of his desk and said "I said to save your questions until after. Well this is the time to ask them, what do you want to know?"

Robin was suddenly bombarded with questions. The both of them were talking at the same time, it was hard to understand. "Ok! I'll explain everything from the beginning. If you have any questions afterwards, then ask them THEN." Robin said loudly.

They both stopped talking, and sat down in some chairs in the tent. "Okay here goes." Robin said. "After Grima died, I woke up in the same field that you and Lissa found me in, Chrom. Like before, I didn't remember much of anything. I wandered around, not knowing who I was. I found a village and stayed there for a little while. None of them seemed to recognize me as your tactician. As I stayed there, I kept hearing rumors about an organization of people that welcomed thieves and bandits. I also heard that the people who joined acquired strange abilities. I didn't really understand that part, but I was thoroughly interested in why it was attracting so many criminals, so I did some investigating. I asked around, and even ended up finding and talking to, one of the members. He told me that the Organization was called the Malific, and that they worshipped a being known as Malifer. He also told me that if you perform a ritual and pledge your soul to Malifer, in return he will give you an abnormal ability. This ability varies from person to person. The one who leads the Malific is an old man, by the name of Relod. He is a worshipper of Malifer, but no one knows what his ability is, not even members of his Elite Circle."

"Elite Circle?" Lucina said, intrigued.

"Well, remember when I said that the ability given to a worshipper varies from person to person? Relod took the ones with the most advanced abilities, and put them into a special group, to carry out the tougher missions."

"Right, go on." Chrom said.

Robin nodded. "It was the night after my talk with the member, that I started regaining my memories. I don't know what triggered it, but they came back none the less. But before I went back to Ylisstol, I wanted to learn more about the Malific. I attempted to join them, to learn more from the inside. But they have a test. You must show Relod your ability before you can join, to show that you have pledged yourself to Malifer. I simply told Relod that my ability was heightened speed, because I was always good at dodging and striking quickly. He believed me, and welcomed me to the group. I took to wearing a mask, so none would recognize me as the Tactician of Ylisse. I made a near- exact replica of your mask, Lucina. Time passed, and I even earned a spot in the Elite Circle, gaining Relod's full trust. By then, I had just about learned anything there was to learn about the Malfic, so I was going to leave it soon. The mission to kill the Exalt was the perfect time."

Robin Breathed deeply. "There, I think that explains everything up until this point."

"Yes I suppose it does." Chrom said. "But robin, tell me if-."

Chrom was interrupted by Frederick quickly entering the tent. "Milord! Terribly sorry to interrupt, but its Lady Sumia! She's been…"


	4. Chapter 4

Not Dead Yet

Sumia gently put baby Lucina in her crib. She stayed there for a while, watching her baby sleep peacefully. She wondered how different this Lucina would be from her future self when she grew up. Would her personality be completely different? The sound the window behind her opening snapped her out of her thoughts. She gasped at the sight of a masked figure. "W-who are you?" she said in a frightened voice.

The figure said nothing, took out a dagger, and held it backhanded. Sumia turned back around quickly, grabbed her child, and ran for the exit. The figure was too quick for her. The screams were heard throughout the castle.

"Murdered!?" Chrom said. His eyes widened, and then welled with tears. Lucina did the same. Robin did not cry. He stared at Frederick however, jaw dropped.

"Yes, Milord;" Frederick said. He was actually starting to cry as well. "It happened a day and a half ago, but I only got word of it now, from an Ylissian messenger. I'm so sorry."

"Who… who did this?!" Chrom said. The sadness in his eyes quickly replaced with anger.

"We don't know Milord. The act took place in little Lucina's room. The child was not hurt, she was found in her crib, and the only thing that was found at the scene, was this dagger." Frederick held out the dagger in front of Chrom. He stared at it for a while. He's seen this dagger before, but where? He looked over to Robin, about to ask him if he had seen it before. Robin's eyes were wide; he looked extremely surprised to see the dagger. It was at that moment that Chrom remembered where he had seen it. Robin reached into his cloak pocket, and pulled out a dagger that looked exactly the same. Lucina gasped at the sight of Robin's dagger. She stared at it for a couple seconds, then looked away and ran out of the tent, tears still in her eyes.

"Lucina, wait!" Robin said as she left. Chrom attempted to punch Robin, but he quickly dodged out of the way.

"Wait, Chrom, think rationally here!" Robin said, trying to calm him down. "Why would I kill Sumia? She was a good friend, what would I get out of killing her? Besides, I'm on your side!"

Chrom lowered his fist. "You may be right, but who else carries daggers with such a design?"

"Well, daggers with a design like that, with the black blade and brown hilt, were made by me, yes; but I have thrown many of them! Anyone could've found one and picked it up."

Chrom sighed, and wiped the tears from his face. "I'm going to believe you Robin. Don't make me regret it later." Chrom clenched his fists. "Whoever did this is going to pay."

"Milord;" Frederick said. "A servant claimed to have seen the assailant just before he or she left. I suggest that we go to Yilsstol and question her."

Chrom nodded. "I agree. Let's pack up and leave as soon as possible." Chrom stormed out of the tent. Robin was about to follow, but was stopped by Frederick.

"I do hope you're not lying to us Robin." Frederick said "I want to believe that you're not the one who did this, but with this dagger, I have to suspect you."

"I understand, Frederick" Robin said. "If I were you, I'd suspect me too; but I can promise you, I didn't do this." Frederick nodded and stepped out of Robin's way, allowing him to leave.

Robin entered Lucina's tent, and saw her sitting in a chair, quietly sobbing on a table. Robin walked up to her. "Lucina…are you… alright?" He didn't know exactly what to say in this situation.

Lucina lifted her head up from the table and looked at him. "No, I'm not. I just lost my Mother… do you have any idea what that feels like?"

Robin looked down, and then shook his head. "No, I guess I don't. I don't remember my Mother at all, not one thing. But, she took me away from Validar, she tried to keep me safe. So I know that she loved me, just like I know that Sumia loved you."

Lucina got up from her chair and ran to Robin. She wrapped her arms around him, and cried into his cloak. "Hey now, do I look like a tissue?" Robin said jokingly, trying to make her feel better. He then put his arms around her as well.

"Please… please tell me it wasn't you." Lucina said, still crying.

"Lucina, I promise you, I am not the one who killed your Mother; and I swear, I will find the one that did, and make sure that person gets the punishment they deserve for taking such a wonderful person away from us."

She squeezed him tighter. "Thank you…"


	5. Chapter 5

Not Dead Yet

The room the servant was being held in was guarded by two soldiers. When Chrom and Robin walked up to the guards, Chrom told one of them to let no one disturb them. The soldier nodded, and then the two entered the room. The servant was sitting in a chair, looking down, and a sad look on her face. Robin decided to stay standing, while Chrom took a seat in another nearby chair.

"So, you're saying that you saw the assailant leave the castle?" Chrom said, already asking questions.

The servant was still looking at the ground. She seemed very distant. "…Yes." She said softly.

"Well, what can you tell us about him or her then?" Robin said.

"Well to start, by the figure, it definitely looked like a male. He turned to me when I entered the room. I couldn't see his face, he was wearing a mask, but I could feel him staring at me coldly. He may have been deciding whether or not he wanted to kill me."

"Mask huh?" Chrom said, sounding almost disappointed. He turned to Robin. "You still have the big piece of your mask right, Robin? Take it out."

Robin looked hurt. "Chrom, you don't actually thi-!"

"I said, take it out, Robin." Chrom said, still in this disappointed tone of voice. Robin sighed, and took out the piece of his mask that was the biggest, the part where the Right eye had been.

"That's it!" The servant said loudly. "That's a part of the mask I saw!"

Chrom looked down when he heard this, then closed his eyes and shook his head. "So it was you after all..."

Robin just stared at the servant "What's going on?" He thought to himself. He knew he wasn't the one who did this, yet, how, does she recognize this mask? Robin tried his hardest to think of a reason. Chrom had gotten up from his chair and was walking towards Robin. It was only when Chrom was right next to him that he found an answer.

"Wait!" Robin said. "I think I know what's going on. Kreig!"

Chrom tilted his head. "Kreig…?"

Robin nodded. "He's another member of the Elite Circle. He has the ability to change his appearance to anyone he has a good image of in his head. I know it sounds like I'm just making excuses, but it wasn't me I swear it!"

Chrom looked him dead in the eye. "And you're telling the truth?"

"Yes, Chrom, I've been telling the truth this entire time." Robin said calmly.

Chrom nodded very slowly. "I believe you." Chrom turned to the servant. "Thank you for your time, Miss."

The both of them left the room to find a dead soldier at their feet. Robin's eyes widened "What happened here?!" he said loudly.

"I… don't know" Chrom responded. "But… there were two soldiers guarding this door." Robin then pointed to another soldier running down the corridor.

"Stop!" Chrom shouted. And the soldier actually did, and turned around. Then, he started glowing, then his body shimmered, and changed. In a matter of 2 seconds, the soldier had taken the appearance of Robin, with his mask on. The fake Robin started running again, turned a corner, and went out of view.

"Kreig!" Robin said. "What's he still doing in the castle?!" Robin started running after him, but he stopped, and turned back to Chrom. He whispered something in his ear, Chrom nodded, and the two of them both quickly pursued Kreig.


	6. Chapter 6

Not Dead Yet

When Chrom and Robin turned the same corner that Kreig did, they didn't see him, but they saw two ways he could've went.

"I'll go this way." Robin said, pointing to the corridor on the left.

"Right, I'll go the opposite direction." Chrom said turning and heading down the hall on the right.

Robin's path was the correct one; he spotted Kreig at the end of the hallway. He still had the appearance of Robin with his mask on. He wasn't running though, he was just standing there. "Kreig! There you are! Why did you kill Sumia!?" Robin shouted.

"And a hello to you too, Paradox." Kreig said laughing. "Or should I call you Robin now? Never mind, I don't wish to call you anything except traitor."

"You didn't answer my question." Robin said, in an angry voice.

"That expression says that you're quite upset with me. This is the first time I've seen your face up close. Speaking of which..." There was a glow behind the mask, implying that Kreig was generating Robin's face. He removed the mask, revealing the smirking face of Robin.

Robin became even angrier. "You're going to pay for what you did Kreig." He took out one of his daggers, and started running towards him.

Kreig chuckled. "Your faith doesn't lay with Malifer, traitor. That's why you're weak." Kreig quickly took out a tome and cast Thoron at the ceiling, causing it to collapse right under Robin, about to crush him. It fell too fast for Robin to completely dodge. He jumped backwards, but it the rubble still crushed his legs. He lay on the floor moaning in pain. Not only was he hurting, he was stuck.

"Aww, you're still alive?" Kreig laughed again. "Well, I can't get to you across this rubble. Not to worry though! I'll just go this way and get you from the other side! Enjoy your last minute!" Kreig proceeded to run down the other hallway, only to bump into Chrom.

"Robin!" Chrom said. "No luck on my end. Did you find Kreig?"

Kreig looked at him strangely, and then remembered he had Robin's appearance, and went along with it. He had an idea "…Yes, actually. I managed to catch him. I cast lightning magic at the ceiling, and collapsed it on him. It damaged the castle, but I got him. However, he's still alive. Shall we go finish him?"

"Ok let's go." Chrom said, taking out Falchion.

Kreig smiled when he heard this. "Oh and before we go over there, I have to tell you something. He still looks like me, and he will try to convince you that he is me. Don't listen to him."

Chrom's eyes narrowed. "Alright… lead the way." Chrom said.

Kreig nodded and turned in the direction of the hallway to get to Robin, but before he could start walking, Chrom struck him with Falchion, gravely wounding him. "What… why did… how did you..." Kreig said as he fell to the ground, landing on his stomach.

"Robin predicted something like this would happen. Before we pursued you, Robin gave me a password; and he would say it when he approached me, so I would know he was the real Robin. You didn't say 'Naga' at any point in our conversation, so I knew you weren't him."

Kreig grunted. "This… Changes… NOTHING!" he said angrily. "I am only one of the many in my organization that want to see you dead. There will be… more… just like me… count on it…" Kreig closed his eyes, and succumbed to his wounds, dying.


	7. Chapter 7

Not Dead Yet

Robin's eyes slowly opened. He recognized this room. It was the infirmary located in the castle. He was lying on a bed, in the corner of the room. He brought his hand up to his forehead, trying to recall the events that had transpired. He remembered finding and chasing Kreig down a corridor. He also remembered Kreig taking his appearance, and then, collapsing the ceiling on him. He didn't remember much after that. He must have passed out at some point. He looked over to his right and saw Lucina a few meters away, talking with one of the healers. Lucina finished her conversation and looked over to where Robin was, noticing that he was awake.

"Robin, you're awake!" She said smiling, while walking up to his bedside.

Robin nodded slowly. "Lucina, what… exactly… happened?"

"Well, when the healers found you, you were lying on the ground unconscious; your legs crushed under some rubble that came from the ceiling. This, Kreig, who was posing as you, told my Father that he collapsed it on you. That was only about a half an hour ago."

Robin nodded again. "Speaking of Kreig, is he…."

"He's dead. Kreig tried to tell my Father that he was you, but thanks to your plan with the password he told me about, he was able to quickly put an end to him."

"I see." Robin said. "What of my legs?"

"They were in pretty bad shape when they were first examined," Lucina said. "But the healers did an excellent job. You should actually be able to walk on them."

When Robin heard this he quickly got up from his bed and stood. There was a large ache, but he didn't mind it.

"Whoa, slow down there, Robin!" Lucina said, gently pushing him back onto the bed. "Just because I said you can walk, it doesn't mean that you should. Get some more rest, so that your legs can completely heal. "

Robin was actually about to lie back down when Chrom came bursting through the door. "Lucina, we've got trouble." He said.

"What is it?" she said.

"Kreig wasn't alone. There's a large group of what looks like bandits charging at the castle.

Robin put his hand to his head again. "Hmm." Robin said "It seems Relod sent a large force of Malific to accompany Kreig. This move isn't like him, though. If he's still aiming to kill you, Chrom, then he'd normally try to do so in a stealthy fashion. This must be his Plan B. The real question here is why he would go to such lengths to kill you. There has to be another reason besides simply spreading the word of the Malific; but what?**" **

"We should worry about the reason after we've dealt with the problem." Chrom said. "Lucina, let's go."

Lucina nodded and quickly headed for the door.

"Wait!" Robin said, standing up again. I'm coming too."

Lucina shook her head "Robin, no-."

"Good." Chrom interrupted. "If you can stand, then we could still use your help."

Lucina sighed. "Fine, just, promise me you won't get hurt again, okay?"

"I'll try." Robin said smiling. "Chrom, what do you need me to do?"

"Go and check the back of the castle, see if there are any coming at us from behind. Lucina and I, along with Ylissian soldiers, will deal with the ones at the front."

"Alright." Robin said. He then parted with the two of them, and went to the back of the castle.

"There doesn't seem to be anyone here" Robin thought to himself. He was about to head back to the front of the castle when he heard a voice from behind him.

"Paradox…" The voice said. Robin's eyes widened. He knew who this voice belonged to.

"Alice." Robin said, turning in the direction the voice came from. " What are you doing here?"

Alice removed the hood she was wearing. "Fulfilling the mission you and Raycir failed."

Robin's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "I'm going to assume that you were Kreig's partner in this mission?"

"That's right. Kreig was to try and kill the Exalt stealthily, and if that failed, then I was to step in, along with our group of Malific."

Robin looked directly into her eyes. "Alice… I talked with you frequently during my time in the Malific, and I've gone on many missions with you. I know you're a good person at heart. Every time you were faced with killing someone, you always hesitated before striking. You don't like killing people do you?"

"I don't think anyone does, Paradox, with the exception of psychopaths. …I am well aware I'm fighting on the wrong side, but I cannot join you; my life still belongs to Malifer. If I had not had his power when I did, I would have died long ago."

"Can tell me what happened?" Robin said, with a look of both curiosity, and sadness on his face.

"I was only a little girl when I acquired my ability, but I remember the night I acquired it so clearly. It was during a bandit raid that took place in the village I lived in. Both my parents died trying to fight the bandits, and I was about to die too. Just as I had accepted my fate, I heard a voice in my head. …It was the voice of Malifer. He told me that I could save myself, that I could escape these bandits, if I pledged myself to him. I… agreed. My body started glowing, and I had gained the ability of increased speed. The same ability you lied about having, Paradox. I don't know how I knew that was my ability; it just popped into my head. I was able to outrun the bandits. I escaped the village, but… I had nowhere else to go. I ended up being found by Relod. He told me he would give me a home, and a way to get back at the bandits that killed my parents. When I grew up, I was told the location of the bandits that raided my village. I… killed …them… all, Paradox. And that time, I did not hesitate at all. Now do you see? I owe Malifer my life; indeed it is a dark path that I am walking down, but I will continue to walk it."

"I… understand, Alice." Her story made him feel terrible. He didn't know what else to say.

Alice smiled "It is alright Robin. I will fight for what I believe in, and you will do the same. Now come, show me your passion, show me the strength behind the reason you fight!"

Alice took out two twin swords, while Robin took out two of his daggers; then they both charged at each other. Robin attempted to strike her with his dagger, but Alice easily dodged it. Alice then swung her sword horizontally so fast that Robin barely ducked under it in time, the blade slicing off a sliver of his white hair. Robin then tried to strike her with his dagger in a vertical slice, but Alice again dodged it with ease. Robin was left open for a split second after his attempt of an attack. Alice kicked Robin in the torso, knocking him off his feet, and making him fall to the ground.

"This is bad." Robin thought. "I can usually keep up with Alice, but in my condition, I can't keep up with Alice's speed. Right now, she's faster than me."

"Shame…" Alice said. "You're not at full strength, so this will not feel like a true victory; but I still have to complete the mission, and you are an obstacle. I'm afraid your end is now." Alice charged at Robin, about to deliver the killing strike.


	8. Chapter 8

Not Dead Yet

Robin closed his eyes. He knew he had been beaten; he just didn't want to see his death coming. He waited for a second, and then he opened his eyes and looked up when he heard the sound of blades clashing. Lucina was standing in front of him, blocking Alice's attack with her Falchion. Alice's looked surprised for a moment, and then went back to her usual half-interested look; she then jumped far backwards, distancing herself from the two.

"Lucina!" Robin said surprised. "Why are you here?"

"We were overpowering the enemies at the front of the castle. My father sent me here to help you, in case there were enemies back here." Lucina turned towards Robin and smiled. "It seems he made the right decision."

"I'll say." Robin said, picking up his dagger, and trying to stand up; he was struggling to do so.

"Don't, Robin." Lucina said, with a look of worry on her face. "You stay right here; I'll handle this."

"No, Lucina! You can't fight Alice by yourself, she's much too dangerous!"

Lucina shook her head, stood up, and faced her opponent, holding her Falchion in front of her. Alice then charged at Lucina, and began attacking her with a barrage of strikes. Lucina was managing to deflect every one with not much difficulty. Lucina tried countering her series of attacks with a diagonal slash, but Alice quickly evaded it; she was simply too fast. Alice then held one of her blades close, and aimed a strike at Lucina's heart.

Robin used all of his remaining strength to leap from where he was and go in front of Lucina, the sword instead impaled him. Both Lucina and Alice's eyes widened at the sight of this. Robin coughed up blood. "Lucina…" he said "I…."

Alice quickly removed her blade from him, and backed away. As soon as the blade left him, Robin fell, onto the ground, and slowly closed his eyes. "No…" Lucina quietly said as she rushed to Robin's side.

Lucina began yelling. No, Robin! You can't die! Please, Get up! Open your eyes!" Tears forming on her face, started shaking him, but his eyes would still not open.

Alice stared at the two of them, wearing a look of pity. She knew the emotion that Lucina was feeling. It was true despair. She had felt the very same when her parents had died.

"Was he… important to you?" she asked. Lucina only slightly turned her head toward her in response.

"Get used to that feeling of sadness." Alice said coldly. "These things happen."

When Alice said that, Lucina was quickly filled with anger. Lucina stood up and dashed at Alice so fast she couldn't dodge the following strike from Falchion. The blade pierced Alice, hitting her in a vital spot, and she too, fell to the ground. Alice felt the part where she was pierced, and looked at her blood covered hand.

"So this... is where I will die …" She muttered.

Lucina looked down at her, eyes narrowing. "I need to ask you something."

Alice turned her head towards her. "Fine… whatever it is.. I will answer you. Consider it… a reward for defeating me. But make it… quick… time is short…"

Lucina nodded slowly. "That member of your organization, I believe his name was Kreig. Why did he kill Sumia?

Alice looked at her, confused. "The Exalt's wife? She was killed?"

"What? You don't know about it?"

"If she _was_ murdered, then I can assure you… it wasn't Kreig…. He was a very loyal… member of the Malific. He wouldn't do anything… unless it was a… direct order; and we… weren't told anything… about… killing the… Exalt's… wife..."

"What?" Lucina said, shocked. "But then, who killed her? Alice? Alice! WHO KILLED MY MOTHER?!"

Lucina looked at her more closely. The life had left Alice's eyes. She was dead.


	9. Chapter 9

Not Dead Yet

"_Well, this is familiar_." Robin thought, opening his eyes. He was in the Infirmary again, but this time, there was no one else in the room; it was empty except for him. Unlike the last time however, he knew exactly why he ended up here. He slowly got up from his bed; the pain in his legs was gone, but he knew he had another wound he should be worrying about. He lifted his undershirt, and looked at the place where he had been struck by Alice. There was a scar, but the wound was more or less healed, much to his surprise.

"Gods, those healers sure know what they're doing." Robin muttered to himself. He then grabbed his cloak, which was located on a nearby chair, put it on, and left the infirmary.

The corridor was nearly empty, there were a few people Robin saw as he walked, but they were all silent. Everyone was unusually quiet. As Robin was walking, he looked to his left, at the hallway where Kreig had collapsed the ceiling on him. It had been mostly repaired, but there was still a very small hole in the ceiling. Robin then continued to walk, until he heard Chrom's voice behind a door that was coming up on his right.

"-t wasn't him, then who, Lucina?!" was all he could hear. When Robin came up to the door, he thought about whether he wanted to just walk right in, or listen to what they were talking about. He decided to stand there for just a little while, listening, and then he would enter.

He heard Lucina's voice next "Do you think it's possible if…." Her voice trailed off, making it inaudible through the door.

"I do hope you're not still suspecting him." Chrom said with a sigh. "No, it couldn't be. Robin has proven time and time again that he is with us. It must have been someone else we don't know about yet. Once Robin wakes up, I'll be sure to ask him if he knows anyone else who might have committed the crime."

Now Robin knew what they were talking about. He considered the mention of his name to be his cue to walk in. When he entered, the both of them stared at him in shock; similar to their reaction to seeing that Robin was Paradox.

"Robin…" Lucina said calmly. "How much did you hear?"

"Enough." Robin said, in an irritated voice. "You two _still_ think me a murderer? I thought we already established that it was Kreig."

Chrom sighed again. He had begun to do that allot, ever since Sumia died. "No, Robin, we know that it wasn't you, but, we also know that it wasn't Kreig."

"What are you talking about?" Robin said with a confused look on his face. "It had to have been him. Not only was he at the castle when we came for questioning, but he also possessed the ability to change his appearance, which is the only logical explanation for the servant having recognized my mask."

Lucina spoke up. "I defeated Alice. In her dying moments, she told me that she didn't know anything about the death of my mother. If Kreig _did_ kill her, don't you think Alice would have been told about it, since it happened a day prior to the attack? Alice also mentioned that they were given no direct orders to kill the Exalt's wife, and that since Kreig was a very loyal member, he would never do something as extreme as that without being directly told to do so."

Robin nodded. "It's true, Kreig was very loyal. And considering Alice's position, I don't think that she lied. IF that is the case though, the obvious question soon comes to mind. If not Kreig… who?"

"You don't have anyone else in the Malific to suspect, Robin?" Chrom said.

"Hmm. With me gone, and Raycir, Alice, and Kreig all dead. That leaves 2 remaining members of the Elite Circle that I know about; Zarin, and Ceren. Ceren has the power of invisiblity, yes, and that would normally make him a prime suspect; but the servant actually SAW someone. Ceren would have been invisible the entire time had he committed the crime. Zarin, well, let's just say he's not exactly fit for an assassination mission. You'd normally find him spearheading a full frontal assault; and he's… terrifying. His nick-name is 'The Demon of the Elite.'

"What is his ability?" Chrom asked, curiously.

"It's very hard to explain. He… messes with your head. He can make you see things, and somehow, control you. What he normally likes to do is dig deep inside his victims mind, and shows them their greatest fear. He's able to do it to multiple at a time. It's one of the most powerful abilities a Malific can get. He's also fierce in combat, unlike any I've ever seen. I know for a fact that I would be beaten by him. I... honestly don't know how we'll manage against him."

Chrom put his hand on Robin's shoulder. "I'm sure we'll think of something, Robin." He said. "Now, I have some matters to attend to. We'll discuss more about the Malific afterwards."

Robin nodded, and Chrom left the room, leaving just Robin and Lucina.

After a few minutes of the two of them just standing in silence, Lucina spoke up. "Why did you do it?"

Robin had a pretty good idea of what she was talking about, but he wanted to make sure. "What?"

"Why did you jump in front of Alice's attack?"

Robin sighed. "Oh come now Lucina, you know that if I hadn't done that, you'd have died."

Lucina looked down. "That doesn't change the fact that it was a foolish thing to do."

"I'd hardly call it foolish. Thanks to my actions, we're both alive."

Lucina looked up from the ground and straight into Robin's eyes, wearing a look that wasn't exactly anger, but something close.

"You barely survived! If Maribelle hadn't come when she did, and closed the wound to stop the bleeding, you'd be dead." She looked like she wanted to cry. "And if you died… if you disappeared again… I…I wouldn't be able to…"

Robin quickly wrapped his arms around her, giving her a reassuring hug. "It's alright… All that matters is that I'm here now, and I'm alive." Robin stopped hugging her, and smiled. "And I'm going to stay that way, I promise."


	10. Chapter 10

_Okay, here we are with chapter 10. This is an important one, so let me know what you think._

Not Dead Yet

The investigation of Sumia's murder was put on hold. Chrom hated to do it, to him, this was extremely important, but there were simply no leads. The Shepherds exited the castle and headed out again, their goal now, finding the Malific Hideout.

"You don't know where they are located, Robin?" Chrom said, packing up all his belongings. "Is it that you don't remember, or..?"

"No, nothing like that." Robin replied. "It's just that the Malific don't stay in one place for too long. I _could _take you to where they were just before I left the group, but I'm almost one hundred percent positive that they've already left that place; especially now that they know I'm a traitor to them."

"That's a good point." Chrom said. "Where should we start looking then?"

"Well first things first, we should check the spot I mentioned anyway. Even though they've most likely deserted that place, it can't hurt to look. After that, I'd recommend we check some of the Malific's previous hideouts. I'll admit, it doesn't happen often, but they do sometimes revisit a spot they were once before, and I know quite a few of them."

Chrom finished packing up his things. "Well alright then, let's get going." Robin nodded, and they all left Ylissitol.

The first day, they searched a long while, with no luck. They had checked the Malific's most recent spot, but, as Robin predicted, there was no one there, nor a trace of where they had gone. It was getting dark out, so the shepherds decided to set up camp, and everyone went to bed, except for Robin, who wanted to keep watch. He didn't mind it because he wasn't tired; he had gotten plenty of rest in the infirmary. He stood in the same spot for a while, next to his tent, and not much happened until about an hour later, when he saw a hooded woman walking toward the campsite.

"Who goes there?" Robin said, placing a hand on one of his daggers.

The girl stopped in her tracks, looked at Robin, and gasped. "It _is _you!" she half-whispered, half-screamed. "Father!" She then started running towards him.

Robin took his hand off his dagger, and put on a look of extreme confusion. "W-what?" Was all he could say. The girl then came up to him and wrapped her arms around him. Robin looked at her strangely for a second, and then pushed her away. "Who are you?"

The girl looked hurt for a moment, then her eyes widened and she looked down, disappointed. "Oh yes, that's right…" The hooded girl said softly. "At this point in time, I'm not born yet."

"What are you talking about? And why did you call me father?" Robin said, still confused. "Explain yourself!" Robin again reached for his dagger.

"Okay… but, this might be a bit much to take in." The girl took a deep breath. "My name, is Morgan, and I… am your daughter; from the future of course."

Robin no longer looked confused, he looked surprised. Then his eyes narrowed. "And how am I supposed to believe that?"

Morgan smiled "I thought you'd say something like that." She reached into one of her pockets and pulled out something that caused Robin's mouth to open wide. It was a piece of a shattered mask; a mask that Robin was very familiar with. It was a piece of the replica he made of Lucina's mask. He knew it was the one he made, because the piece looked very similar to the shape of the piece that was in _his_ pocket. Robin instantly reached into his own pocket and took out his own piece of mask. He then held his up to Morgan's. They looked exactly the same.

"Incredible... Same size and everything…" He said. "Alright… You've convinced me."

Morgan smiled widely, and then hugged Robin again. This time, Robin did not push her away. They were like that for a while, and then Robin spoke up. "Hey, I still have a few questions."

"Sure thing!" Morgan said, and then stopped hugging Robin. "Ask away!"

Robin nodded. "Naga handles the time traveling business. You must have come here for a reason, what is it?"

Morgan tilted her head. "Oh, that's an easy one! I came back because…" Her smile faded. She paused, then brought a hand up to her head. "Wait… why _did_ I come back..? I know it was important, but, I just… can't remember.

"Huh?" Robin said. "You can't remember why you came here?"

"I think… I remember hearing something about time travel… having some side-effects on me." Morgan said weakly. "This… must be one of them. Augh! My head…"

"It's okay." Robin said smiling. "I'm sure you'll remember sometime."

Morgan took her hand away from her head, and smiled. "Oh this is so great! Father, seeing you just makes me so happy!"

"Not as happy as it makes me, seeing you." Robin said. "Your very existence gives me hope. Hope that in the end, we will win this fight, and I'll have the chance to settle down, and actually start a family." Robin placed a hand on her head, and then noticed something he didn't see before. He removed her hood and gazed at her hair. He didn't notice it at first, but thanks to the light of the moon, he could see that her hair was that unmistakable shade of blue.

Robin's eyes widened. "Wait… Who is...Your mother..?"

Morgan looked up at him, and smiled again. "That question, I can still answer. My mother, is Lucina."


	11. Chapter 11

Not Dead Yet

Robin ran his fingers through his hair. "I see… I didn't think it would be anyone actually here with us right now, much less… her."

"Is everything alright, Father?" Morgan asked, noticing his expression.

"…Yes… I'm fine. You, on the other hand, look exhausted, you should get some rest. You can sleep in my tent, I don't intend on sleeping tonight."

"Well… alright… What are you going to do in the meantime?"

"I'm… I'm going to go for a short walk, I'll be back soon. I just need, to think about what I'm going to tell everyone in the morning. You don't leave this tent, you understand? I don't want anyone seeing you before I get the chance to explain things."

"Okay. Be careful, Father."

"I will. Good night, Morgan." Robin said, already starting to walk away. Morgan nodded, and went inside the tent.

As Robin walked further and further away from the camp site, he began thinking about what he would tell Chrom, Lucina and the others. Robin weighed his options. If he just simply tells everyone that Morgan is his daughter, they would connect the dots as soon as they got a look at her hair. Morgan's hair was probably Robin's biggest obstacle. If she had white hair, like Robin's, he would be able to tell them that she was a younger sibling, who found her way to them; he had to think of something different though, since that wasn't the case. Robin's thought process stopped when he heard a voice from behind him.

"Off for a nightly stroll are we?" It said with a laugh. The very sound of his voice sent chills down Robin's spine. Robin immediately turned around, but no one was there.

"Show Yourself!" Robin shouted. A few seconds after he had said that, the air rippled, and a figure instantly appeared, a few meters away from him. It was Zarin, the most feared member of the Elite Circle. He was the only member, other than Robin, that wore a mask.

Robin's eyes narrowed at the sight of him. "Relod must be getting tired of sending his elite Malific to their deaths. So you're next in line to receive the mission of killing the Exalt?"

Zarin placed a hand on his head, feeling his black hair. "Actually, no. I just thought I'd get a breath of fresh air, and I happened to run into you."

Robin thought about what he said. Did that mean they were close to the Malific hideout? Or was he lying? Robin had another question on his mind however. It was a question that had been on his mind ever since the incident with Kreig.

"Tell me something, Zarin. Why are the Malific so hellbent on killing Chrom? There has to be another reason, so tell me."

Zarin laughed again. "Well of course there's another reason; but if I told you now, it would ruin the surprise."

His response angered Robin. "This isn't a game, Zarin! You're giving your soul away to some demon! Think about it, if we defeat Relod, if we can stop Malifer, then maybe there's a chance that you can be your own person again!"

Zarin stopped laughing. "I don't mind giving my soul away, as long as you get what you deserve."

"What did I ever do to you?" Robin said, reaching for a dagger.

"You have no idea…" Zarin said, placing a hand on, and removing his mask. Robin's eyes widened

"You… You have a power… Like Kreig's..?" Robin said, staring into a face that looked exactly like his own. Their only difference was their contrasting hair colors.

"You wish it was that simple, brother." Zarin said, thowing the mask on the ground, and stomping on it, shattering it into many pieces.

Robin looked surprised at first, and then his eyes narrowed again. "Nonsense, I don't have a brother."

Zarin put on a look of anger that was very unlike him. "I'm done talking to you." He said, snapping his fingers, and disappearing. "Let the fun begin."

Suddenly, everything around Robin slightly shaded purple. Zarin was using his ability. Robin looked to his left, and saw Chrom and Lucina, standing right next to him.

"_No, they aren't really here_." Robin thought to himself. "_This is all just Zarin's illusion." _

"Robin, are you alright?" The illusion of Chrom said. "You're pretty far away from camp."

The air rippled, and Zarin appeared again. This time, he was carrying one of Robin's daggers. He started walking towards the illusion of Chrom.

Robin tried to reach into his cloak, and take out a dagger, but he couldn't. He was no longer able to move anything below his neck.

"Wait what's going on?!" The illusion of Chrom said. "I-I can't move!"

"I can't either!" Said the illusion of Lucina.

Zarin walked up to the fake Chrom, grinned like a madman, and pierced him with the dagger he was holding.

"Who are- What… are you…?" The illusion said in a pain-filled voice. Zarin removed his dagger, and pierced him again in a different spot.

Zarin repeated this process as Robin just watched in horror. "It's only… an illusion!" Robin kept repeating in his mind. "But why… does it look so real?"

After a while, the fake Chrom finally fell to the ground. As soon as he fell, Zarin looked at Robin, smiling that insane smile, and then he turned to the fake Lucina.

Robin knew what he was going to do. "No… Zarin… please… don't…"

Zarin ignored him, and quickly impaled the Lucina illusion with the same dagger. She said nothing, but from her expression, she looked like she was in extreme pain. Robin tried to close his eyes, but now, he couldn't even do that. He was forced to watch this. Zarin did the same thing that he did with the Chrom fake, he removed the dagger, and stabbed her in another place, repeatedly.

"**ZARIN! PLEASE! ENOUGH! STOP THIS!" ** Robin shouted. It was no use, Tears soon rolled down his face. Seconds passed, and the fake Lucina also fell.

Zarin looked pleased with himself, then turned to Robin. "One… left." He said softly.

Robin's eyes widened, as Zarin quickly ran up to him, and stabbed him in the shoulder with the dagger. The pain was agonizing, it was real. Robin could do nothing against this ability, he had lost.

"Please… enough..." Were the only words Robin could form.

Zarin laughed. "You want it stop _that_ badly? Fine then…" Zarin removed his dagger, and snapped his fingers. Everything lost its shade of purple. Robin fell to his knees, putting his arms in front of him, to hold himself up.

"Your greatest fear…" Zarin said, slowly. "Losing the ones you care about."

Zarin smirked "I used to have a similar weakness…. But I stopped caring about the lives of others, when our Mother died…"

Robin looked up at him. "What?" He said. "What… happened to… my Mother…?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Zarin said, before turning away from Robin, and disappearing.

Robin slowly got up. He checked his shoulder, there was no wound. The pain he felt, it was all from Zarin's power. He took a deep breath and started running towards the camp site.

When Robin returned to the camp, he noticed Lucina standing just outside Robin's tent.

"Robin!" Lucina said as she noticed him. "I've been looking for you. Where did you go?"

"I… went for a walk… and I ran into a member of the Malific. I'll tell both you and Chrom about it in the morning."

"Are you hurt?" She said, with a worried look on her face.

Robin glanced at his shoulder, then back at her. "No, I'm fine."

Lucina sighed. "Well… anyways, I said I was looking for you."

"What for..?" Robin said curiously.

"Well, I wanted to know if you knew anything about the girl that's sleeping in your tent."


	12. Chapter 12

Not Dead Yet

"Oh, uh… you looked inside..." Robin said nervously. He opened the flap and peaked inside the tent, seeing Morgan sleeping peacefully on the cot. Robin still didn't have an excuse. If Zarin hadn't come and interrupted his thinking, he probably would have thought of one by now.

"Yes, I did." Lucina said. "I was on the brink of sleep, when I heard conversation outside, I recognized your voice, but the other one was unfamiliar to me. By the time I had gotten outside, you and the other person you were talking to were both gone. I looked in your tent to check and see if you were there. And there _she_ was. …Who is she?"

Robin gulped. "Well… That's Morgan. And she is…" Robin was still thinking about what he was going to say. After a long pause, he thought of something. He decided on telling her the truth, but not all of it. "…Your daughter."

Lucina's eyes widened. "Is that… a joke? Because if it is… I don't get it."

Robin shook his head. "It's… the truth. She wandered here by herself, and told me everything. She came from the future, but she doesn't seem to remember why. Nor does she remember various other things."

"And you just… believed her?"

"Well, yes. There's no doubt she's your daughter, if that's what you were thinking about. For one, her hair is the exact same shade as yours, and two, she brought back with her, the same piece of mask that I have with me right here, in the exact shape and size." Robin dug around in his pocket, and pulled out the piece of his mask.

Lucina stared at the mask piece for a couple seconds, and then sighed. "I… suppose that's enough evidence to prove it."

"Something wrong?" Robin said, putting the piece back in his pocket.

"No, it's just, unexpected… this happening. I just can't believe that _I _actually have a daughter. I didn't really think it possible for me. I didn't think I had the right… By the way, who's her father?"

Robin bit his lower lip "Sorry, I'm not sure. Unfortunately, I don't think even Morgan remembers."

"Oh…" Lucina said softly. "I see."

"Do you have any idea what you're going to say tomorrow when everyone sees her?"

"I'll tell them the truth." Lucina tilted her head slightly. "Why, do you think they'll have a problem with it?"

"No, not at all." Robin said, looking at the ground. "I just didn't know if you wanted this being in the open."

"It's… okay. Although, I wish to speak with her before she is introduced to everyone, if that's okay."

"It's fine by me." Robin said, shrugging. He looked up at the sky, then back to her. "You should probably get back to bed, it's late."

"Okay…" Lucina said, turning to walk away. "I'll be back in the morning to talk to Morgan. Good night, Robin."

"Alright. Good night, Lucina." Robin said as she went back inside her tent.

Robin turned towards his tent, opened the flap and went inside. He glanced at Morgan, and then sat in a nearby chair, and exhaled deeply.

Upon hearing the sound, Morgan opened her eyes. "You didn't tell her?" She said in a sleepy voice.

"So you're awake." He said, looking at her. "I only half-lied. I still told her you were her daughter."

"Okay, but you'll have to tell her that you're my father some time." Morgan said, and rubbing one of her eyes.

"And I will, when the time presents itself. But until then, she mustn't know."

"Whatever you say…" She said, turning over, and closing her eyes.


	13. Chapter 13

Not Dead Yet

_Nothing terribly important happens in this and the previous chapter. Expect something important and longer however, in the next one. Also I would really appreciate if you guys could tell what you think of the story so far. Good or bad, it'd help me a lot, thanks!_

xxxx

"Should I go in there too?" Robin said, looking towards his tent.

"No… I wish to speak with her privately." Lucina said, softly so no one around could hear.

"Well… Alright. I'll make sure no one disturbs you."

Lucina smiled. "Thank you, Robin." She then entered the tent.

Robin stood just outside for a long while. It was bordering 15 minutes when Chrom ran up to him, with a look of both excitement and worry on his face.

"I think…" He said, breathing heavily. "We may have found what we're looking for."

"You mean… you found the Malific hideout?!" Robin said, shocked.

"Well, maybe…" Chrom said, catching his breath. "We saw a group of bandits enter a small fortress not far from here. That could be it."

Robin nodded. "That may be one of their stations, and not the actual main gathering place. But it's definitely worth checking out. Also, if that _is_ one of their stations, then I can almost guarantee that Zarin, that Elite Circle member I mentioned, is there."

"Why do you say that?"

Robin sighed. "Because I ran into him last night, while going for a walk."

Chrom's eyes widened. "You did?! A-are you okay?"

"I'm fine. He didn't hurt me; at least… not in reality."

"Ah…" Chrom said, nodding. "I remember now; he was the one you said could make people see things."

"Right, that's why we need to approach that fortress with extreme caution. I've said it before, he's very dangerous, and if we meet him there, we need to be careful."

"Alright, I'll make sure everyone stays on guard. When should we depart?"

Robin shrugged. "I guess, when everyone's ready to go."

"I'll go tell everyone to prepare, then." Chrom said, turning to leave

"Sounds good." Robin said as Chrom quickly went to tell the others to get ready. Mere seconds after Chrom left, Lucina emerged from the tent, a large smile on her face.

Robin noticed this and commented on it. "For the person here who smiles the least, you look… unusually happy…"

"I hope I do." She said, happily.

She then started to walk away, when she was stopped by Robin poking her shoulder. "We're about to leave."

"To the fortress, I know." Lucina said, turning back to him. "I heard you two talking. I have to go get something from my tent, and then I'll be ready to leave."

"Okay… How was your… conversation?"

"It went well. She's very… energetic, that's for sure. I'll have to introduce her to everyone after we return. For now, she'll stay here." Lucina then started walking away again.

Robin nodded, turned towards his own tent, and entered it. "What was she so happy about?" Robin asked as he saw Morgan.

Morgan's face was pale. She looked Robin directly in the eyes. "I… am so, so sorry. It just… slipped out."

Robin's eyes widened, then he closed them and brought a palm over his face, covering it. "Morgan… you did not…"

She winced. "I did…"


	14. Chapter 14

Not Dead Yet

_I decided to split it up into 2 parts. Because I feel I could improve the second half of this. Enjoy!_

xxxx

"I don't like this…" Robin said as the Shepherds approached the fortress. "We're so close, they surely must have noticed us by now, and yet, I haven't seen a single person. Chrom, are you absolutely sure that the bandits you saw, came here?"

Chrom, who was beside him, nodded. "Yes, I'm sure; I saw them enter the two large doors at the entrance."

"I see…" Robin said, as they walked up to the doors. He put his hand on one of them, then turned back to face everyone behind. "All of you best prepare yourselves. There's no telling what the ones behind these doors are planning, so stay on guard." He then turned back towards the door, and pushed it open.

Inside, there was no one, but there were three corridors. Two large ones, and one small passageway that was to the side. "Which way do we go?" Chrom said, looking around.

Robin looked as far as he could down each way. "Let's split into groups. Group A can this go way." He said, pointing to the large corridor on the left. "And group B can go that way." He said, pointing to the other large corridor on the right. "Chrom, I'll let you take care of actually spiltting them up." Chrom nodded, and then Robin continued.

"I'll go down this side passage here." Robin said, pointing behind him. "It's probably nothing, but I might as well check it out. I'll catch up with you guys afterwards, ok? Good." Robin then quickly turned and ran down the small passage.

Down the passage, there were many turns Robin had to make; but eventually, at the end of it, Robin found a very large room, comparable to the arena in Ferox. The room had strange patterns painted all along the floor.

"Just… what is this place?" Robin muttered to himself as he walked up to the center of the room.

"It's very possible that this is the place where you die…" A voice said. Robin couldn't tell where it was coming from, it echoed around the entire room.

Robin knew it. He knew he had to be here. He looked all around, but couldn't see him. After a few seconds, the air rippled, and he finally appeared right in front of Robin, causing him to quickly back up a few steps. Zarin.

"I thought you'd be here…" Robin said, quickly taking out a dagger.

"Hello again, dear brother." Zarin said with a smile. A smile that on any other person, would look completely normal. He somehow made it look terrifying.

"Stop calling me that; I don't have one." Robin replied, quickly becoming angry.

"How can you be so sure..?" Zarin said, curling his black hair. "Last time I checked, you don't remember anything from your life before. Are you stupid? Or do you just not want it to be true?"

"Enough…" Robin said, through clenched teeth.

Zarin smirked. "Are you that eager to die? Fine, let's get down to business." Zarin held up his hand, about to snap his fingers, when both he and Robin paused at the sound of a voice that came from behind Robin.

"Robin, there you are…" Robin recognized the voice instantly. He looked behind him and saw that it was Lucina. "We found enemies at the end of the hallway, so my Father sent me to come and get…who is…?" her voice trailed off as she saw Zarin.

At the sight of Lucina, Zarin immediately burst into laughter. "Oh, this will be just PERFECT!" He said, with his insane smile. "Lucky you, Robin! Now you don't just have to see an illusion of her dying! You can see her perish, **IN REALITY!"**

xxxx

Suddenly, Zarin snapped his fingers and everything around Lucina slightly shaded purple. Both Robin and his look-alike had disappeared. She tried moving, to take out her Falchion, but couldn't; something was preventing her. Lucina looked around for a couple seconds, and then the air rippled, and Robin's look-alike appeared right in front of her.

He closed his eyes, and placed a hand on his head. "Now what, oh what, are you afraid of..?" He put on an odd look, like he was searching for something. It quickly changed to a look of satisfactory. "This ought to be fun…"

He opened his eyes, but they weren't like when he closed them. The entireties of his eyes were a blood red. His figure then grew darker and darker, his body shifted, and changed, and he started growing, and continued to grow until he was nearly the size of the entire room. Wings soon appeared. After a few more seconds of looking at him morph and increase in size, she was finally able to see what he had become.

She didn't need to say it however, because he had said it for her, in a monstrous voice. "**I… AM… GRIMA."**

.


End file.
